History of Australia's Multiculturalism

Name
Prof
Course Name
 DATE \@ "d MMMM yyyy" 12 December 2021
Australian Multiculturalism
Introduction
Globalization, by far, is the single-most-important force in the global interaction between cultures. Workplaces and social places are increasingly diversified with different cultures from across the globe. A better explanation of this phenomenon is captured by Amanda Wise and Selvaraj Velayutham's work, Multiculturalism and Everyday life. According to the authors, the food court of a local suburban shopping mall is deliciously rich with multicultural experiences (Wise and Velayutham 1). Here, one can find multiple languages and cuisines from different corners of the world. Immigration, through globalization, has enhanced these experiences, especially in modern developed nations like Australia. On the surface, people fancy and savor these experiences, but only to the extent that they are daily lived experiences. On a broader scale, especially when it comes to human development opportunities, the issue of multiculturalism becomes contentious both in political and public domains. The current paper explores the different key definitions of multicultural multiculturalism in Australia, the emergence of multicultural policies, and inherent criticism.
Varying Definitions of Multiculturalism
Multiculturalism is a subject of multiple geographical interpretations (Clayton). In other words, the term is defined differently depending on which side of the geographical, political, or social spectrum a person is in. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions is a leading international body representing the interest of people who rely on information professionals and libraries. Such people include students, professors, researchers, and most importantly, scholars. Therefore, the IFLA presents an excellent place to begin understanding the varying definitions of multiculturalism. According to the IFLA, Multiculturalism is the co-existence of diverse cultures. Culture encompasses religious, cultural, and racial groups and manifests in habitual behavior, assumptions, patterns of thinking, and communication styles (Chu). This definition is consistent with what Wise and Velayutham describe as part of a critical feature of the modern food court in urban suburbs.
Multiculturalism also refers to the state of a society in which numerous distinct cultural and ethnic groups are seen to be politically relevant (Ivison). In this definition, an aspect of politics is introduced based on the fact that different cultural groupings have a say in local and national politics. Moving away from politics to policy, multiculturalism promotes a culturally diversified society (Ivison). The definition arises from the fact that globalization has enabled the increased co-existence of cultures. Therefore, policies and legislation must be shaped to accommodate these differences in an inclusive society. Politics and policy are critical determinants of how power and opportunities are distributed across a multicultural society. In this aspect, multiculturalism exists differences and uneven power relations among populations (Clayton). These differences exist along with cultural markers such as race, ethnicity, geographical distin...